Deceptive Innocence
by Destructive Tenderness
Summary: Nagisa's enthrallment to the delicate art of assassination ignites wariness and hints of distrust in Class 3-E. Karma, who knew better than to follow the masses, finds himself piqued by this recent development.
1. Chapter 1

He didn't know how it happened so favourably for him, but somehow, Nagisa had been accepted to learn the ways of the assassin professionally. However, as an apprentice of this delicate and bloody art, his mentor- though busty, eternally flirtatious and whiny- absolutely astounded him.

Irina is admiringly proficient in seduction. Her carefully constructed words attracts her targets towards her like a moth to a flame. She's graceful, beautiful, deadly and analytical all at once. Through the eyes of an amateur, this is what you had to strive for to thrive in this profession. But through Nagisa's eyes, she was his best bet to finally have control over his nearly uncontrollable desire to spill blood.

Ever since the final showdown with Takaoka, Nagisa found himself growing more and more susceptible to the overwhelming urge to just simply slit a random throat; either friend or foe would do. The rush of his first assassination with Takaoka made him aware of his talents- if not that, it was his classmates' and teachers' praises that brought the message home. His interest in killing stealthily and deceptively piqued the fascination of some, while others began to feel wary of it. Fortunately, his yearning to kill hasn't caused anybody's death yet, much to his (and everyone else's) relief. With the exception of the mad military man who thought himself his father, he hasn't felt bloodlust of that magnitude since this development.

It was Karasuma who noticed the signs of his struggle first. Despite the man's business-orientated mind, he knew how to take care of his own. He was more of a father than Nagisa's own pathetic excuse of an unreasonable mother. Karasama looked him in the eye whenever they spoke. He clearly regarded Nagisa as a competent adult rather than a child that he knew he was. Karasuma was frank; he had no problem telling Nagisa how unsettled he was at first when the blunet's affinity to sweet deception and python-like sneak attacks were brought to light. He was unsure whether nurturing this talent was even a good idea. But in the end, he caved in, under the condition that Nagisa learned how to control his emotions and improve his crafty speech with Irina before learning more advanced approaches to assassination.

Before he could continue considering the consequences of this training, quiet footsteps approached him.

"Whatcha doin' up there, Nagisa? I didn't know you were a tree hugger."

Nagisa shifted his eyes to see the resident genius assassin smirking at him from the base of the tree.

"At least I'm not obsessed with my own ego. " He replied casually, resuming his comfortable stance on the thick branch, his gaze idly assessing Karma's confident saunter nearing his position.

"Your words scathe me, truly." Karma sighed mawkishly, palms against his chest in a dramatic fashion. "If you could see past my killer looks, do you mind if I join you? I promise I'll behave."

Nagisa chuckled at Karama's playful tone as he gave a quiet nod. He begrudgingly made room for the sarcastic red-head, who was alarmingly swift with his climb up the tree.

"This is a nice spot." Karama commented, languidly stretching across the branch with his back against Nagisa's shoulder. "I'm sure bitch-sensei won't find me here."

Nagisa raised a single brow at him. "What did you do this time?"

The Cheshire grin that followed elicited an exasperated sigh from him. "You know what, forget I even asked. I don't think I want to know."

The menacing grin grew. "A wise choice."

Silence permeated the dense wood, interrupted occasionally by animals here and there. The rustle of leaves soothed Nagisa, calming his tumulus mind and relaxing his tense muscles. Karama remained stock-still, finding Nagisa's shoulder served a good pillow for his flaming red head.

It was strange how close their friendship was, despite their clear-as-day contrasts. Karama was arrogant, fiery in personality underneath the heavy layer of sarcasm and wit he greeted Class-E with every day. On the other hand, Nagisa was as calm as they could go, humble and, at times, timid to a fault. Although they were opposites in that regard, their mutual outlook of assassination was the same, however dissimilar their preferred methods of execution were. While Nagisa found deception to be his forte, Karma was easily thrilled by the very aspect of hand-in-hand combat; the bloodier the better. Regardless, they're common perception of killing made others cautious around them, but that was never the case with each other. They had a shared interest that wasn't socially accepted. Although Class-E were trained assassins, most of them only focused on neutralising the target, and avoided killing as best as they could. That was _their_ game. _Nagisa's_ game couldn't be any more different, the same could be said for the sadist currently unwinding beside him.

Speaking of said sadist…

Nagisa glanced at the red head by his shoulder, who was muttering something incomprehensible again. He smiled fondly at his friend's antics, which were just as quirky as the next. Karma's golden eyes had sharpened to accommodate his complex thought process and rapid fire speech. His hands clenched and unclenched on his lap in a random interval alternating from soft curls of his slender fingers to brutally harsh fists, nails painfully digging into his pale palms.

The blue haired assassin often wondered what Karma pondered whenever he was in this state. It was as if Karma was incapable of normal human functioning unless his rebellious mind solved an invisible and impossible problem under stress free conditions in the company of Nagisa. If Nagisa didn't know any better, he would have assumed that this was Karma's way of displaying his trust to him, despite the occurrence of a certain incident from the past. The past before they even stepped a foot into Class-E, when they were friends who had similar tastes in an obscure production that unknowingly provided Karma a reason to fear the innocent boy.

Nagisa was totally unaware of it himself when it happened. He had no idea his quiet disposition and seemingly sweet voice unnerved people under certain (or any) circumstances. His talent for catching people like Karasuma off guard was first discovered by Karma, who reluctantly recalled the event that caused their temporary termination of friendship.

Karma was uncomfortable describing the fear and snake-like grace of Nagisa's otherwise harmless gesture. It was only a poke on the back. Nothing life-threatening but to Karma, he swore it was quite the opposite.

Nagisa remembered the uncharacteristically disturbed red-head averting his eyes to a nearby bush in order to evade the azure eyes of his blue-haired friend. His sneaky presence at the time was akin to a python beginning to constrict and crush its gullible prey. The movement was slow and deliberate, yet unsuspecting and almost offhand all the same. It was a simple gesture, not a killing blow.

Even though Nagisa didn't intend to do the same thing time and time again, he couldn't help but respond to the beckoning call of a tempting entity that perpetually goaded him into a state of bloodlust. A dark and sensual voice coaxing him with a suggestive, musical note that would put Irina's glib to shame. The dangerous part; he was beginning to listen to it.

 _And by the crescent moon did he love it._

As Nagisa's mind whirled with possibilities coloured in crimson and black in a contemplative silence, Karma narrowed his eyes carefully at the mildly disconcerting upturn of the corners of Nagisa's suspiciously red lips.


	2. Chapter 2

Haruka smiled indulgently as his son recounted his school life to him with enthusiasm. Nagisa seemed to be getting better; less timid and more confident. It was with the way he held himself; shoulders back, chin tilted up higher than it ever was, sharp eyes meeting his own. He was proud of Nagisa, although, a small part of Haruka was worried that he had changed too much in his absence.

For instance, his son's speech had become stronger since he left. No stuttering, no rushed words. It was soothing, calm and controlled. It made him appear harmless, but its flowing quality was one that would be envied by professional orators, those who could only dream of having a firm and powerful voice as his son's. Whoever taught his kid to speak so eloquently and harmlessly at the same time must certainly be up to the high standards of Kunugigaoka. Then again, Nagisa was always fond of English and its literature, perhaps his talent lay in languages?

Watching his son speak so fluidly made Haruka feel even guiltier than before. He had missed out on the majority of his son's development. How much of it was Nagisa's own doing? What if Hiromi was still insistent on controlling Nagisa? What if she had pushed him so hard since he left that Nagisa had no choice but to obey?

Haruka got some comfort in noting how the long waist length hair his son had was tied up in a more manageable hairstyle that offered some form of masculinity to his appearance. It was nice seeing his son stand up for himself, refusing his ex-wife's ridiculous demands of him. But that was the only sign he got from Nagisa that indicated how he was being treated at home. And it worried him not knowing what else he was subjected to, what mental damage he could have endured. Something Haruka should have been shielding his son from. After all, it was Hiromi's domineering views that drove him away.

"Nagisa-kun, how is your mother? Is she well?" he asked, curious if Nagisa harbored any ill-will against him for leaving him with an oppressive mother. The child tilted his head slightly then offered him a small smile.

"Honestly, Tou-san, I doubt I will ever understand how she works." He replied. "One minute she's a caring mother, ready to dote on me and answer my every whim just because I did well in a test."

Nagisa frowned briefly, before resuming his unassuming smile. "However, those moments have quickly become very rare, and very short-lived. Most of the time she complains about my hairstyle, about Class E, about how ungrateful I am despite her many ' _sacrifices'_. She ignores my opinions as if my input isn't worth acknowledging, afraid that I will shatter her delusional fantasy of living her dream life- one in which she was refused at my age- by living it through me. I do not know what to say other than she is well enough to be my guardian before I come of age. What will become of her when I leave is up to her, I want no part in it."

Haruka felt sick throughout his son's answer. It was as though knives were being plunged ruthlessly into his heart, one after the other. The guilt was killing him slowly in the inside. He thought Hiromi wouldn't expose Nagisa to her insanity. He assumed she would take care of him like she did when he was around, that she would continue to be the supporting mother in Nagisa's life that he would love no matter what, and shun his pathetic biological father. That's what it was supposed to be.

But it wasn't. If anything, it appeared to be the opposite.

"Son, I…." Haruka choked out, dipping his head in shame. "I'm so sorry. This should not have happened. I should have been there for you all these years."

What kind of a father was he, to not check up on his only child for 7 years?

"I'll talk to Hiromi, Nagisa-kun. I can't let this continue any longer-" Haruka was cut off by his son's hand resting on his own. Reluctantly, he raised his eyes to meet his son's, fully expecting anger, contempt, even hatred.

Which was why he was taken completely off guard by the warmth and forgiveness that shone so brightly in his azure eyes.

"I don't blame you, Tou-san. I'm glad I can see you again. As for _her_ , I highly doubt she will listen to you and change her ways readily. I think we're better off keeping everything as it is. I have handled her for so long, I'm sure I can hold on for another few years, ne?"

Nagisa's father couldn't believe his son. How could he deserve such a perfect child? He didn't deserve Nagisa's forgiveness, he didn't deserve being talked to so lovingly. Haruka was selfish and he abandoned Nagisa to Hiromi without a second thought. Despite the changes in Nagisa, he was, in some ways, the same little boy who forgave too easily.

"Tou-san?"

Haruka jerked back from his thoughts abruptly. Now wasn't the time to wallow in self-pity.

"No, I'll make it up to you, Nagisa. I'll talk to Hiromi and I will do my best to help you. It's the least I can do."

Although he was afraid of Hiromi and loathed the thought of seeing her again, all doubts were banished at the sight of his son's beautiful relieved smile.

* * *

He arrived home with his father. While he kept a cool face, his father's constant fidgeting gave away his nervousness. Neither of them wanted to be here, and neither of them wanted Haruka to confront Hiromi. They already knew this was a disaster waiting to happen. The only reason why they were even in this situation was because of Haruka's adamant refusal to leave things as they were. According to him, Nagisa deserved better, and for some reason, Haruka felt like he owed his son for leaving him in the first place.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Tou-san? It's not too late to back down, I have already forgiven you." Nagisa asked quietly.

Haruka nodded his head firmly. "Of course I'm sure. I need to know what is going on here."

With that, Nagisa unlocked the front door and the duo stepped into the modest house.

"Tadaima." He called out.

"Okaeri, Nagisa-chan." Hiromi replied from the kitchen.

Nagisa glanced at his father and motioned him to follow. He was stiff as he walked. Haruka's hands were rigid by his sides, his mouth set in a straight line. The blue haired assassin-to-be would admit that he wasn't great with affection- that was to be expected with such a controlling and selfish mother- but the need to provide comfort for the clearly distressed man urged him to reach out and hold his hand as he led him into the kitchen. This small display of affection was enough to loosen Haruka's tense shoulders, and when he made to let of his son's hand, he gave him a grateful smile and a pat on the head before steeling his face to meet his ex-wife.

Hiromi was seated at the kitchen table, nursing a mug of hot coffee. Her hair was neat as usual and she was dressed in a casual blouse and long skirt. Her eyes widened at Haruka, who stood solidly by Nagisa's side.

"Haruka, what are you doing here?" she asked, standing up and abandoning her addictive beverage.

"Good evening to you too, Hiromi. You and I need to talk."

Nagisa's parents stared at each other for a few moments before Hiromi nodded her head sharply.

* * *

In the end, the bluenet remained at the top of the stairs and listened to the argument that has been going on for almost an hour. He had to hand it to his father, he certainly knew when to drop that infinitely patient act.

Haruka didn't beat around the bush; he immediately began questioning Hiromi of her treatment of Nagisa as if it was an interrogation. Predictably, Hiromi didn't allow him to accuse her of neglecting their child in her own house. She protested loudly, which caused Haruka to raise his voice in equal measure. They disputed back and forth, leaping from Nagisa to Hiromi's mental stability to Haruka leaving them. It was like a tennis match. One very long rally of hitting the ball of accusation at the opponent until said foe faltered. As both his parents were quite stubborn in their opinions, neither had faltered-not even stumbled- throughout the ordeal.

Nagisa listened with half an ear. He didn't bother trying to sleep; it would only be in vain. Instead, he exchanged succinct texts with Karma about the situation. He trusted Karma with his life, just as how Karma trusted him with his. They shared almost everything with each other. Karma knew about his problem with Hiromi's tendency to refer to him as a female. Nagisa knew about Karma's empty mansion and his constantly busy parents, who were always abroad on business trips. This closeness was often displayed when they had classes. Although they felt more welcome within Class 3-E than with the students at the main building, both of them knew that there was a gap between them and the class. It had been progressing as the months went by and by the time Nagisa took down Takaoka with a real knife minus the flinching, a huge crevasse was formed without them noticing. Despite their common goal to assassinate Koro-sensei, it was only a matter of time before the class turned their backs on the pair, just like the other students. Unlike Karma and Nagisa, they weren't ready for blood. Not the gruesome aspects of assassination, not the various ethically wrong methods of gaining information from their targets, and certainly not the act of killing.

Karma noticed this distance first yet he didn't seem bothered by it. If anything, he seemed to have accepted it. He had no problem showing off his brutal side with his attempts to assassinate Koro-sensei. When the class realised how serious he was with his drive to kill a teacher, and how affected he was by the betrayal of his previous mentor, they slowly and subtly became wary of him. Soon, he was on the edge of being marginalised.

Nobody suspected Nagisa's skill until Takaoka's take down. Under the cheering and the congratulatory pats on the back, there was an underlining wariness in his peers' stances, as if he would turn on them as he did with Takaoka. He was grateful at least, by Maehara's slap that brought him out of his musings after the event. The wake-up call helped Nagisa regain his senses and assured the class that he was still the same old Nagisa, just with an affinity for surprise. Unfortunately, it didn't stop the crevasse from forming as a result.

Speaking of Maehara, it was him, Isogai and Kayano that hadn't treated him nor Karma any differently. Nagisa admitted, he wasn't that close to the boys, but he was sure they had no problem with him. And Kayano too was certainly not afraid of him. She was always there for him, and Nagisa appreciated her immensely for the friendship they had. If he remembered correctly, weren't they all suppose to go to a karaoke soon...?

The sound of his father's yelp of pain brought Nagisa to his feet. In a flash, he raced down the stairs and threw the kitchen door open.

Haruka was hovering over the sink, hands curled over his eyes as he splashed cold water over them. Hiromi had her mug of coffee clutched tightly in her right hand, the contents splashed all over her ex-husband. She stood there by the kitchen table, frozen, unable to move, _useless._

Nagisa was at his father's side in an instant, quickly assessing the damage. Haruka's eyes were a blazing red and his laboured breath roused a fiery anger within the bluenet. He whipped around to glare at Hiromi.

"What were you thinking?! You could have ruined his eyesight!" he yelled.

"I-I didn't mean to! Nagisa-chan-"

"Stop calling me that. I am not your daughter." he paused and smirked darkly. "Then again, I have never considered you my mother either."

Nagisa closed his eyes as Hiromi's panicked demeanour changed into rage. She began screeching the usual insults and insisting on Nagisa's gender. He felt her approach him rapidly. He could have ran, he could have opened his eyes and tended to his father. Instead, he stayed there, unmoving, his body not responding to what his mind is screaming at him of what is to come.

He bowed his head and waited for the hit. Hopefully it wouldn't connect with an already existing bruise.

But to his surprise, he was shoved backwards and another pained yelp left his father's lips.

"Tou-san!"

Haruka was sporting a red hand print on his left cheek, matching his red eyes. Despite the obvious signs of discomfort, Haruka stood ready to defend Nagisa.

"That's enough, Hiromi."

It was about time that Nagisa understood the phrase 'knight in shining armor'.

* * *

Nagisa walked into classroom 3-E with a barely concealed satisfied smirk. Even now, he was still reeling with the assurance of his father's custody over him. Days after his conversation with Haruka, Hiromi was found unfit to care for Nagisa any longer and was accused of physical abuse. Her admission to a mental facility was also supported by the bruises of various colours on his body and the vast range of dresses- all in his size- stowed away and neatly maintained in her wardrobe. Although, he felt somewhat guilty for having his father's fears confirmed. Haruka didn't do anything wrong, he did what any sensible man did; left an unhappy relationship with a madwoman. Despite Nagisa's relief of his mother's control, he could not help but recall his father's pained grimace as he watched Hiromi struggle to leave the confines of her bed in the asylum, shouting and screaming curses at Haruka for taking away her second chance at life. Nagisa merely felt coldly detached at the scene.

On a brighter note, Nagisa now lived in his father's apartment, which he got for a decent price at a reasonable walking distance from his school. He loved his father, and his father loved him. It was all he could ask for, though, he tried to ignore the missing spot reserved for the maternal figure of his family. He supposed there was an undeniable sadness there. He remembered passing by numerous whole families, children with both their mother and father, and feeling jealous of the fact that they had the chance to have both while he only had one.

However, he was happy he had the nicer half of the deal.

Calmly taking his usual seat, he ignored the unsettled stares and lone amused grin from his peers.


	3. Chapter 3

He wanted to know how Nagisa was doing in school. As his father, he needed to know everything about his child. However, it wasn't easy to fuss over him without being obvious about it, especially when that same child was infuriatingly perceptive for his age. Was he always so sharp?

Nagisa wasn't against him meeting his teachers. If anything, he appeared amused. Haruka tried to understand his son's disconcerting grin and seemingly random facts about octopi. Other than that strange reaction, Haruka received a nod of approval and a casual hug. In the past he did not usually partake in these kinds of gestures. He didn't like being touched. Hiromi was an exception and the first one he allowed into his personal bubble. Back then, she was warm, understanding and trusting. Despite her strict upbringing, Haruka found himself drawn into Hiromi's easy laugh and carefree smile. Whatever happened to that? Arguing with her those few nights ago made him realise how his leave damaged her even further. Behind that kind façade, Hiromi was sad, so very sad.

She was desperate for a chance to live a life that was forced from her. Before they had Nagisa, she expressed none of these selfish desires. But months after Nagisa's birth, she grew an unhealthy distorted view of their only son. She didn't see him as her son; she saw him as herself. She was convinced that this was her chance to dress up and enjoy the feminine luxuries that she was deprived of. She denied Nagisa's true gender in order to satisfy this fantasy. Frankly, Haruka was disgusted.

Shaking out of his thoughts, he watched Nagisa cook breakfast with practised ease. He insisted that he wanted Haruka to rest as much as possible even though his vision wasn't blurred anymore but Nagisa wasn't having any of his excuses, so Haruka meekly conceded. He had a feeling this had something to do with his first and final attempt at cooking salad for them.

When Nagisa was finished with breakfast and ready to go to school, Haruka ruffled his son's newly cut hair. "Have fun out there."

His heart ached at Nagisa's returning grin.

As soon as the door was closed, Haruka retreated to the living room and sunk into the couch. How had this escalated so quickly? Meeting his son weekly was his initial intention, not taking custody over him.

He took a glance at the clock. Fortunately, he didn't need to go back to the garage for another three hours. Perhaps now he can finally get started on rereading that 'Parenting for Dummies' book while waiting.

* * *

They were sparring again.

By the tree that Karma had recently used as a hiding spot from Irina-sensei, Nagisa rapidly approached the red-head with a raised fist for the third time. It was deftly redirected and Karma countered with a strong hook, which narrowly missed his foe's jaw. But that didn't deter him. In a graceful maneuver, he shifted his weight backwards, twisted his body and aimed for a high kick. Poor Nagisa took the hit and was sent across the clearing with a quiet grunt.

"Dammit, Karma-kun. I'll have you know I need this face!"

Karma shrugged unrepentantly before resuming his offensive attacks. Many of his hits didn't connect, though, not with the way Nagisa smoothly guided the attacks off course by mere centimetres. At one point, Karma left an opening, causing Nagisa to take the advantage. His punch to the nose lacked power, but it was enough to stun Karma and lose his balance. Not about to go down on his own, Karma grabbed the next incoming fist and pulled it as he let himself fall. Just before landing, he rotated his body and reversed their positions so that he came out on top, pinning the blue haired boy with a rubbery knife held against his neck.

They stayed there, panting heavily. Nagisa pouted at his loss while Karma smirked smugly at him.

"I win again, Nagisa." Karma stated teasingly, getting off of the younger boy and helping him up.

"It's hardly a match when my opponent is a powerhouse."

"Shush. You're not as cute when you scowl like that."

"Forgive me, _dear,_ I'll endeavour to perpetually smile adorably in your presence whether I win or lose." Nagisa retorted, fluttering his eyelashes. "If it pleases you?"

"You're mad, Nagisa."

"I know, it's part of my charm."

"Actually, I believe it's your-"

"Please, lovebirds, save it for the bedroom. I think I'm going to puke."

The duo snapped their attention to the two newcomers at the other side of the clearing.

"Maehara-san, Isogai-san. Good afternoon!" Nagisa greeted cheerfully, completely filtering out Maehara's comment and dispelling it from his mind.

Karma nodded in acknowledgement at them, sending a knowing smirk at Nagisa, who stuck his tongue out at him. "What's up? And if your answer is 'the sky' then I will systematically maul you, Maehara."

Judging by the brown haired boy's sheepish grin, Maehara quickly mended his intended reply. "Karaoke. Tomorrow afternoon. Kayano, Kanzaki and some of the others will be there. You guys coming?"

Isogai sent a playfully pleading look at the sparring partners. "I may need your help; I don't think I'll be able to handle him on my own. He's like a puppy desperate for attention."

Dismissing Maehara's cry of outrage ("I'll have you know girls fight for my attention!"), Nagisa sent a questioning glance at Karma, who nodded back.

"Sounds good. Where's it going to be?"

* * *

Haruka peered at the Black Limousine that sputtered to a stop from his place behind a blue Honda Civic. Smoke rushed out as a man in a black suit opened the bonnet of the expensive vehicle. The grey-haired mechanic winced at the man's startled cough and futile attempts to wave the smoke away. By the way the man's shoulders drooped when the smoke cleared was enough for Haruka to abandon his current project and walk over to the unfortunate man.

Dirty rag cloth still in hand, Haruka called out; "Need some help?"

The brown haired man nodded mournfully. "I am but a chauffeur."

Haruka raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Would your passenger mind if I take a look at it?"

At that moment, a well-dressed auburn-haired man stepped out of the vehicle. They assessed each other for a moment before Haruka grinned and placed his hands on his hips.

"Well well well, fancy seeing you here, Mr Perfect."

'Mr Perfect' returned the grin with a smirk of his own. "I would have thought ten years was ample time for growth. I stand corrected."

Disregarding Haruka's dirty hands, he offered a handshake, which was easily accepted. Gakusho, much like Nagisa, had changed drastically over time. His once friendly violet eyes were replaced with strained, coldly professional ones. The tell-tale signs of his age, suggested by the almost visible wrinkles and stray strands of grey hair, stood out starkly and made him look older than he was.

As they exchanged pleasantries, Gakusho's seemingly indifferent face softened to genuine friendliness, much to Haruka's relief and the chauffeur's utter confusion.

* * *

"Hey, Gakusho."

Haruka jogged lightly up to the principal, who was just leaving the school building.

"Good evening, Haruka. I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"Me neither. Is your limo behaving well?"

"Thanks to you." Gakusho smiled pleasantly. "So, what brings you here?"

"I want to speak with Nagisa's teachers but I can't find classroom 3-E."

Gakusho's warm smile faltered for half a second. "That is because it is not in the main building. If you're up for a short hike, I can show you the way."

...

Haruka liked to think that he was fit. Being a mechanic, he had gained some muscle to accommodate the heavy tools he often had to work with. That, and he made an effort to hit the gym at least four times a week.

But that _mountain_ was a killer. And that arrogant little grin on his childhood friend's face didn't make the burning in his lungs any better.

"The building is right over there. I'm sure you can manage on your own." He teased. "Will you survive long enough for coffee tomorrow afternoon?"

Haruka thought he was hearing things. Damn lungs must be using up all of his brain's energy.

"Coffee? I'm not hallucinating am I? Aren't you busy?"

"I wouldn't have asked you if I was. I can spare an hour."

Haruka restrained the urge to gap. "Alright, then. We have a lot to catch up on."

"Please. I'm just _dying_ to hear about your travels gallivanting in the wilderness and charming anything that moves."

"Good _bye_ , Gakusho!"

And no, Haruka wasn't jealous of how easily the older man almost _skipped_ down the stairs like it was no problem.

Some things never change. The bastard.

With an exasperated sigh, he dragged his feet over to the wooden building where his son and his teachers were waiting.

* * *

"You made it, Tou-san." Nagisa greeted from the front of the teachers' office. Behind him were his three – very different – teachers.

One was a stunning beauty, with long flowing hair and pretty aquamarine eyes. Though, clothes that offered more coverage would have been much appreciated. Was she really a teacher here?

The second teacher seemed like a boring businessman. His face was set in an expression that would have made a rock green with envy. Admittedly, he supposed he was quite handsome and undoubtedly popular with the females, if the blonde haired woman's sneaking glances on his physique was any indication.

The last teacher was…unique. He had a large build, and a round face. He wore an impossibly wide smile and black academic robes.

"Ah, this must be your father, Nagisa-kun." The large man mused. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Koro-sensei. This stern man is Karasuma-sensei, our physical education teacher, and Irina-sensei is our English teacher."

Haruka's eyes lingered on Irina in consideration for a second longer before dipping into a formal bow. "My name is Haruka and I thank you for teaching my son."

Koro-sensei nodded approvingly. "I should be thanking you for having such a well-mannered boy. He's a pleasure to teach."

At the corner of his eye, Haruka spotted a red hue sweep across Nagisa's face.

"I'll see you later, son."

"I won't keep your father too long, Nagisa-kun."

When the blue-haired student left, Haruka immediately turned to Irina. "You must be an excellent teacher, Irina-sensei. I have never heard Nagisa speak as confidently as he does now."

The Serbian beauty flushed at the praise. "Why, thank you. But Nagisa has always had an affinity for English. All I needed to do was push him in the right direction. Everything else he did on his own."

* * *

When he saw his father walk out of the teacher's office at a sedate pace, Nagisa grabbed Karma's wrist and dragged him over to the man.

"Tou-san, Tou-san, I want you to meet Karma-kun."

Haruka offered him a friendly smile. "Hello, young man. You can call me Haruka."

"Good evening, Haruka-san. Did you know that Nagisa already hero-worships you? He kisses the ground you walk on when you're not looking."

"Karma-kun!" Nagisa cried, his face quickly turning red. "Tou-san, don't listen to him. He's a liar."

"Oh, it hurts so much!" Karma, ever the drama queen, stumbled towards the wall of the building and leaned heavily against it. "I don't think I can go on any longer. Please, Nagisa, ask your dad to fly me to the hospital. I think my heart is breaking into a million pieces!"

Haruka huffed out a hearty laugh as his son covered his bright red face with his hands. Why was Karma such a sadist?

After more teasing from his father and traitorous friend, the red-head was invited for dinner, which he cheerfully agreed to. The trio made their way down the precarious slope.

Karma pretended to admire the foliage as Haruka coolly pulled his son into a side hug.

* * *

When Karma left their apartment with a full stomach, father and son sat down, each with a cup of their preferred drinks.

Haruka enjoyed this. He could certainly get used to being a father at this rate. Learning more and more about Nagisa lessened the guilt like a wildfire; burning away all negative thoughts in one fell swoop. Simply knowing that Nagisa was doing 'well' from a distance wasn't good enough. Experiencing his son's happiness was. Being there was different from watching from the sidelines. This decision was something he had no regrets in.

Now, how to break the news about Gakusho…?

"I won't be here tomorrow afternoon, just so you know." Nagisa averted his attention from his cup to look at his father enquiringly.

"I also won't be here tomorrow afternoon. Karaoke with friends." Nagisa stated, lowering his cup. "What are you busy with?"

Haruka shrugged nonchalantly.

"Meeting with someone."

"With whom?"

"Must you be so nosy?"

"Must you answer my question with a question? It's bad form, Tou-san." Nagisa tsked.

"It's nothing special, well, that depends on what your reaction to coffee is."

"Touch my coffee and there will be consequences." He replied in a warning tone. "But I'm more interested in this mystery person. Is his or her identity that bad?"

"No, no. I wouldn't say his reputation is bad, just…what's the word… infamous?"

"How does 'infamous' make his reputation seem anything less than bad?"

Haruka sighed petulantly. "I suppose my son has the right to know that his principal has invited me for coffee."

Nagisa stilled. What in the world?

"You're friends with _him_? Tou-san, when did that happen?"

"Years before you were born. I bumped into him at work this morning."

Nagisa copied his father's petulant sigh. "Aren't you full of surprises?"

Haruka grinned back at him. "I could say the same for you. Which brings me to another topic."

He settled back in his chair and took a sip of his earl grey. He ignored Nagisa's muttering. He managed to hear 'coward' at one point.

"Koro-sensei informed me of your career choice."

His son stopped his muttering and raised uncertain eyes at him. "Hm?"

"I asked him what compelled you to make such a choice. Let's say I now understand what you mean by yellow octopi."

Nagisa chuckled weakly as he sat across from his father, nursing his precious strong black coffee.

"Do you approve?"

Haruka smiled warmly at his son. "If your teachers hadn't informed me of your aptitude for assassination, I would have said 'over my dead body'. I wouldn't want you to lose your innocence so quickly, nor would I want you to partake in a mentally taxing job where your life is constantly in danger. Be that as it may, I support whatever you decide to do with your life; don't let your old man stop you."

He reached over and ruffled his son's hair, much like this morning. "Though, there is one condition you must uphold before I let you go through with this."

Nagisa grimaced but nodded. "As long as it doesn't involve whatever is going on between you and your 'childhood friend', I'm all ears."

Haruka banished the rising flush before it had time to spread. "Don't think I didn't notice how close you were with that 'Karma-kun' of yours." He countered without missing a beat.

It was Nagisa's turn to fight down his blush. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't as successful as his father.

"Here's what I propose; I watch you train for three weeks. Then I will ask your teachers to run a simulation so I can see how you'll be working under pressure in a real mission. If you succeed, then you have my full support."

Haruka leaned in and looked at Nagisa seriously. "Fail and you will have to either consider another job or repeat the test in another three weeks. Because I'll be damned if I let my only son walk into a life of killing unprepared. Now don't get me wrong, I won't prevent you from being an assassin; I'll just make it harder for you to become one until I feel you're absolutely ready."

He held out his hand over the kitchen table. "Is this a fair deal?"

Nagisa didn't even hesitate. "Deal. I will succeed, Tou-san."

* * *

Nagisa ran through the conversation he had earlier with his father as he robotically reached for his usual shampoo. Warm water lightly pelted his back, causing his muscles to involuntarily relax at the contact.

He had never felt so driven to prove himself. He wanted to show his father that he was capable for the job and that his thoroughly thought-out choice was not an impulse. His father didn't know about the rush of excitement he got from stalking his target in the shadows, the moment prior to catching his target off guard, nor the feeling of satisfaction he got when he deceived Takaoka with his 'sweet' demeanour. What would have made that assassination better was if he was allowed to draw blood from that oaf's neck…

Alas, it was the shocked silence that permeated the training ground that prevented him from actually attempting to slit the man's throat. His mind quickly found an escape route from the uncertain scrutiny of his classmates.

He acted like he normally did. Naïve, modest and disgustingly innocuous.

Nagisa nodded resolutely to himself. He _will_ pass the test the first time. His classmates' opinion of him be damned.

He savoured the times whenever he had the chance to practice his gift on Karasuma during training. The look on the man's face always caused him to giggle in content- in private of course.

It would be a shame to cease these experiences.


	4. Chapter 4

Gakusho shoved another document into the 'complete' pile and swung his straight back swivel chair to face the window. It was almost time for his lunch break. He let a minuscule smile form on his face as he reminded himself of the person he'll be spending time with during his break.

He owed his current job to Haruka, and the man didn't even know about it. It was Haruka who helped him out of his depressed state as a teenager, helped him realise that he shouldn't be timid with showing his potential, that teaching was his true passion, not medicine like what his parents pressured him into. According to Haruka, having the aptitude for a certain career path didn't mean he had to take it. If what he was doing didn't feel like work, and he loved it, then that was what he had to do.

It helped that Haruka also thawed past his icy exterior for months before Gakusho felt that he was worth trusting. He was always so focused on his studies and perfecting his skills in as much areas as possible, whether it be martial arts, classics or music. The drive to learn everything there was to learn became difficult to manage at one point, and Haruka witnessed the few instances where he refused to do anything but curl up against a pillow and blankly stare at whatever mundane object happened to be in his line of vision. Haruka, being the saint he was, never lost his patience with him. Gakusho would show up at his house at a ridiculous hour then a bedhead Haruka would take one look at him and wordlessly arrange the living room couch to a makeshift bed. Unfortunately, even Haruka had his limits. If Gakusho remained unresponsive for more than three days, then Haruka would resort to sparring with him until they both dropped to the ground with exhaustion.

Back then, there was nothing like a good spar that brought him out of his zombie-like state.

As the trust between the boys grew, so did Gakusho's popularity. Thanks to Haruka's careful guide, the auburn-haired boy learned how to express content and exude a friendly aura that made the female population less intimidated by him, and the male population to become either jealous of the female attention he was receiving or less violent overall. After witnessing this strange phenomenon, he immediately shared his observations to Haruka, who laughed heartily, saying that that was how people worked.

Despite his brilliance in the art of patience and people skills, Haruka was never good at Japanese. His essays were quite atrocious, even Haruka himself knew that. All it took was a chance meeting in the library for Gakusho to agree to tutor. This, in turn, initiated a friendship he cherished. While he taught Haruka literature and essay writing, Haruka offered him a genuine friendship, one that he did not abuse nor used for nefarious means. From the rough school they attended in their youth, blackmail, distrust and deceit were not uncommon to the hardened students.

Although, what Haruka lacked in essay writing, he more than made up for it in maths. On the many times that they did their homework together, it was Gakusho that often asked for help from the younger boy, who teased him relentlessly for it. Of course, it was in jest yet Haruka knew when he was pushing it and, most importantly, he knew when to lay off.

He was always a considerate boy. Although he was very much in tune with his morals, strangely, he was not as good with affection of any form. Often times he spotted random students attempting to greet him with a fancy handshake and a 'manly' embrace, but nobody could ever make Haruka willingly return the hug.

That is, until Hiromi appeared.

Gakusho kept this opinion to himself, too happy for his best friend's fortune to ruin it with an astute observation. Recalling the recent events with his friend and his ex-wife, perhaps he should have said something about the woman before the man married her.

The auburn-haired principal swiftly diverted his thoughts from his memories back to the enormous pile of paperwork just waiting to be signed. With a long-suffering sigh, he cracked his knuckles and got back to work.

* * *

It was humidly wet this morning.

Karma showed up early, claiming he was bored. No doubt escaping from his empty mansion of a house, bereft and void of any living creature but the red-head genius himself. He was wearing casual clothes; a dark grey V-neck and slim black pants. His hair was more tame than usual.

Nagisa tore his eyes from his best friend but continued to listen to Karma's ruthless observations of a rude waitress he encountered a few days ago. He nodded at the right places, added in his own two cents and chuckled whenever he said something witty. It was all very routine, and though the common observer would be put off by Nagisa's seemingly disinterested actions, Nagisa knew that Karma didn't mind. They were close enough to know when the other was troubled and had no desire to talk about it. So it was the duty of the other person to distract the distracted, regardless of the fact that neither of them were partial to drawn out small talk.

This was one of those times where Karma provided the running background commentary not unlike a news reporter while Nagisa listened with half an ear and a wandering mind. He appreciated that.

"I'll see you kids later." His father called out. Nagisa would never dare say this out loud but he had a sneaking suspicion that Karma was more than aware of just how much he adored Haruka. He wasn't overbearing, and he knew when to back off when he was. He did his best to take care of Nagisa, minus his _unique_ way of cooking. More importantly, he saw Nagisa as his own person. He was opposite to Hiromi; he was reasonable, flexible, and easy-going. He seemed so perfect.

But Nagisa cannot help being inquisitive about his father. He – admittedly- knew very little about him. He knew that he worked in a garage, he had a flair with mathematics, he enjoyed tinkering and DIY, and he has an unknown degree of skill in combat. He's a secretive man, rarely shows affection (but lately it has become more frequent in Nagisa's presence) and when he does decide to be affectionate, he's discreet about it, and as he mentioned before, never to the point of overbearing nor clingy.

Then again, there were instances where Nagisa can do nothing but sigh in exasperation.

"Now, you two, don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Haruka advised suggestively, slamming the door closed as soon as Nagisa threw a cushion at him.

Yes, these were one of those frustratingly embarrassing instances.

The blue-haired boy huffed and plopped petulantly onto the couch, arms crossed over his chest. Karma chuckled in amusement at their antics before seating himself beside his fuming friend.

"Brighten up, pup, I thought you liked that kind of attention."

Nagisa responded with a light blush and swung his legs over the arm rest of the couch and non-too-gently rested his head on Karma's unsuspecting lap. Said owner of the lap stared at him blankly for a moment before leaning back against the couch in compliance. In his playful ire he did not miss Nagisa's superior smirk nor the display of immense trust on his side. If he wanted to -not that he ever would- Karma could easily subdue the blunet with a simple choke hold, or else he could flip him over to his belly and straddle him from behind and subdue him then. Nagisa's current position left him in such a vulnerable state that even the prodigious assassin himself would have a hard time escaping any of Karma's attacks.

Despite being a full-time antagoniser, Karma felt a growing fondness rise within his chest. It was no secret that the pair were inseparable - 'attached to the hip' as Terasaka once muttered prior to face-planting in the grass, courtesy of yours truly. This attachment to each other was a well-known fact within their class, so much so that their classmates were aware of how much faith they put in to each other, _only_ for each other. It was inevitable in both of their cases. Karma had no siblings and his parents were rarely at home. Most people were afraid of him. They weren't _au fait_ with his thought process, his brutal honesty and he was seldom normal by their standards. As for Nagisa, he struggled with an obsessive mother for years and was constantly targeted by bigots who saw a frail feminine boy to provoke _._ They were both lonely and had nobody they could trust.

Their chance meeting over an obscure production was enough to kick start a long and beautiful friendship. Of course, they had to adjust their interactions with each other according to how they perceived the other. Granted, it took them a few months of fumbling around to get to their current stage in their relationship.

Fortunately, they met Kayano, who was sweet and flexible. She came in at a close second in Karma's list of people he trusts, rivalled by Okuda. Well, nowadays, there was no more rivalling for that spot. Unless Kayano revealed whatever deep dark secret she was hiding from the duo, Karma didn't want to risk anything valuable with her. After voicing his observations to Nagisa, he swiftly agreed, having noted Kayano's shroud of secrecy earlier on. Though they were wary of her, they did continue to uphold their connection with her, if only for pretences.

That left Okuda, Isogai, Maehara and Nakamura on his list.

Okuda was a surprise and a late addition, however. By her delicate features and hesitant communication skills, Nagisa and Karma were quick to cross her off their list. They instantly assumed she wouldn't understand nor share their passion.

The two - and the rest for the class - were very much aware of her flair in chemistry that would surpass the border of brilliance, akin to Nagisa's own natural talent for deception. Initially, they dismissed her as someone who wouldn't be able to deal with their blunt and jaded outlook of assassination. It was when she demonstrated an unusual interest in both of their skills in their attempts to assassinate Koro-sensei and Nagisa's dispatch of Takaoka did they reconsider her profile. Karma had already discreetly prodded her on her stance in killing for a living. Her enthusiastic response was - again- shocking. Her ultimate passion still lay in the chemical arts, there was no doubt about that. However her goal is not to end up in research and development of some top pharmaceutical company producing relatively amiable medicine for the good of humanity. Instead, her lofty goals were mainly centred around poisons.

 _Poisons._ It was the last thing Karma would ever connect Okuda with.

If he hadn't witnessed the gradual transition from harmless chemistry girl to a fiercely passionate genius relaying her fascination in toxins and exploring the limits of the human body, Karma would have scoffed at the very notion that Okuda was basically a modern alchemist witch.

Clearly she had no problem with blood, not even violence. Needless to say, Nagisa and Karma liked her, even though they were quite baffled by the unexpected twist in Okuda's hobbies. He remembered returning home that day, itching for a warm bath and a strong glass of red wine. Not that he actually indulged himself with alcohol on a school night. He didn't want Koro-sensei lecturing him about that. He shuddered at the thought, mind flashing back to the first days of attempting to assassinate the yellow octopus only to be punished by neatly manicured nails and well-groomed hair.

Nagisa opened his eyes to look mischievously at him. "Don't tell me that you are suddenly excited by 'this kind of attention'."

"What would you do if I say I was?" Karma fired back smoothly.

"I'd pat you in the cheek in sympathy."

Karma let out a startled yelp as Nagisa began to do just that. The light tapping of his pale elegant hand against Karma's cheek was playful, yet mocking.

"There there." Nagisa cooed. "All better?"

"I don't know, pup. I could use a little more attention. After all, we haven't been in each other's presence as often as I would prefer since you moved in here."

Red strands of hair curtained his face as Karma leaned over him, tickling the younger boy's hand still held firm against Karma's cheek. They stared at each other for a while, silently conveying and assessing the other with minute gestures. Their closeness was warm -tangible- as they remained like this, noses almost touching, both of their eyes half-lidded in comfort.

"Since Haruka-san seems to be doing a good job taking care of you, I can forgive him for stealing you away from me."

He rested his forehead against Nagisa's, shutting his eyes painfully. "I'm relieved that you are safe."

Nagisa closed his eyes too, willing the tears to not form.

"You did what you could. What good would a student have done accusing an older woman of abuse? More so a student of Class-E. Karma-kun, you have done more than enough by staying with me and allowing me to stay at your home whenever she was too much."

They opened their eyes at the same time, azure eyes filled with immense gratitude.

* * *

"You should have seen the look on Maehara's face when Isogai dragged him into a waltz!" Nagisa laughed, recalling the way Isogai strutted his stuff as he approached the playboy then pulling him into a twirl.

"I remember," Karma chuckled, hands clasped behind his head. "Personally, I'm more partial to Kanzaki's face when Nakamura urged her into that Titanic scene, you know, the part where Rose has her arms outstretched and Jack has his hands on her hips?"

"Yeah, poor Kanzaki didn't know that Nakamura has a thing for tickling where it hurts."

"I can attest to that."

"Karma-kun! She got you too?!"

This brought another bout of laughter that was not quite loud enough to disturb the slumbering cat they passed by. Despite the solemn mood this morning, Karma had fun with the lively karaoke with their classmates.

It was eight in the evening now. The sky had darkened from its red-orange hue to a midnight blue. The street lamps illuminated the well-worn footpath towards Nagisa's house clearly for the pair. Shops with their shutters closed over their windows extended for a few more blocks. They passed by dark uncertain alleys - in which they had enough sense to steer clear of. Though they were quite capable of defending themselves- Karma especially so- they didn't want to risk any danger that may come to them.

Unfortunately. their established safety precautions were foiled by a group of clearly inebriated young men and scantily clad women. Beside him, Nagisa tensed and carefully attempted to walk around them.

Karma was there in a flash as soon as a man with a mohawk roughly grabbed Nagisa by the shoulder. A resounding smack to the drunkard's face alerted his mates, unwittingly initiating a brawl between ten adults and two junior high students.

As the mohawk man staggered backwards, a gruff man with yellowed teeth threw a wild fist at Karma. The red-head merely swerved away from the offending appendage. He responded with a controlled fist of his own, sending the man skidding back against a wall. At the corner of his eye, Karma saw that Nagisa was calmly holding his own against two men and a relatively agile woman.

Gone was the meek and innocent air that his friend generally exuded. What replaced it was a terrifying cold sense of pleasure; a telling upturn of the corners of his lips and that bloodthirsty glint of his eyes...The fools must be really hammered if they hadn't noticed that underlying threat beneath seemingly harmless features.

With their combined prowess, honed and trained in Koro-sensei's classroom, they managed to whittle the numbers down to three men and a woman. They were more stable than their downed friends but their determined snarls that each of them wore gave away their hostility and compromised state of mind. Three masculine and one feminine battle cry later had them skillfully dispatched. Nagisa looked at their attackers for a moment, something unnervingly unreadable on his deceptively petulant face.

"Let's go, Karma-kun. Tou-san is expecting us home right about now."

Karma quickly assessed their foes once more before resuming a casual walk by Nagisa's side.

"You know, I never would have thought that Sugino had a flair for rock."

They continued recounting their day with their class as if they hadn't just beaten adults twice their height.

* * *

Haruka was skimming through his emails by the time Nagisa and Karma returned.

"Hey Tou-san." Nagsia greeted.

"Good evening, son. Karma-kun." Haruka nodded back to them, shutting his computer. "Tell me; why is there blood on Karma-kun's sleeve?"

The red-head inspected the stained sleeve with disdain, no doubt irritated by the dent in his otherwise perfect appearance. Nagisa, sensing Karma's obvious scorn, rolled his eyes and headed to the kitchen.

"It's not his blood." he shrugged.

"Yeah, we got into a fight with some drunks."

Haruka hummed thoughtfully, not at all worried that his son could have been injured. "I assume they're sprawled on the side walk as we speak?"

"But of course, Haruka-san."

They sat across from each other, sharing amused grins. When Nagisa carried in a tray of tea, they nodded in thanks to him.

"Back in the day, I used to spar with Gakusho frequently."

Karma's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "With Principal Asano?"

Haruka laughed. "The very same."

Karma turned to Nagisa, who was taking a sip of green tea. "Now I see why you adore him so much."

It took all of Nagisa's effort to not visibly choke on his warm beverage.


	5. Chapter 5

While Haruka had left for a Christmas lunch at a fancy restaurant with Gakusho, Nagisa was stuck with a certain red-head, who was very much preoccupied with Nagisa's bed.

"Karma, do we really have to do this? Can't we do it next year?"

"That's what you said last year, so no, we have to do it this year."

"But Karma, after last night I'm in no condition to be doing it at all today."

The red-head stopped organising the pillows, turned to face Nagisa and smirked mischievously. "Heh."

Nagisa frowned suspiciously. "What do you mean 'heh'?"

"Nothing. Just go get some lubricant, one of the sticks are a bit stiff since you've been so tough on it."

"Fine, but I'll have you know that I was pushing you to your limit. The stiff stick is a product of that." Nagisa huffed rummaging through his drawers for the lubricant. Behind him, he could hear Karma chuckle lowly before leaning back and relaxing against his fluffiest cat pillow. "That's not what I remember. I could have sworn I was beating the crap out of you."

…..

On the opposite side of Nagisa's door stood a wide-eyed Haruka. He had left Gakusho's present on the kitchen table and had wanted to check on the boys, only to overhear a rather interesting (and enlightening) conversation. Discreetly surprised by how quickly his son has grown up, Haruka felt that as his father, he should be the one to ensure his son was properly informed of this section of biology.

The slightly nervous mechanic steeled himself and knocked on the door.

What Haruka found was much more innocent than he thought. After one quick glance around the room, he realised how far he severely misinterpreted their conversation. And so, with a sheepish grin and a mellow goodbye, the boys were left to their own devices.

….

At the end of the day, the same father found his son snuggled against a sleeping Karma's chest surrounded by a sea of pillows and two bruised PS4 controllers held loosely in their hands.

* * *

 **Soz. Heehee.**


	6. Chapter 6

"Nagisa?"

He looked up from his knees and winced at Karma's uncharacteristic concern. Since Haruka left for work, Nagisa was supposed to be alone for another hour at least.

"What the hell, Karma?" he said tiredly, swiping his sleeve over his eyes as he stood up.

The redhead frowned at how vulnerable his friend appeared to be. Overall, he was more dishevelled than usual; his blue vest lay abandoned in a corner, his school blouse was wrinkled with the top buttons exposing pasty white skin, his navy tie hung loosely from the collar, and his hair stuck out in all directions as if he's been neglectfully messing with the blue tresses.

"You weren't answering my calls." he replied uncomfortably while trying to remain unfazed. "I was worried that I had to find Maehara or Isogai to watch _Friday the 13th_ with."

Nagisa cracked a smile at the thought. If things ever came down to that, Karma would probably be arrested for manslaughter and Isogai would have to start looking for a new sidekick. "No can do Karma; you're stuck with me today. Let the two live their lives in peace and Karma-free."

Karma sighed good-naturedly, pointedly ignoring Nagisa's puffy eyes and pitiful sniffles. "Looks like Maehara lives for another day."

The two faced each other in silence, awkwardly maintaining their easy humour despite the clear fact that Nagisa was not alright. So far, Karma had always turned a blind eye whenever Nagisa's moods deviated from the norm, and even then, it would only apply when fists got involved. The sudden shift to 'deadly mode' was reaction he noted but never asked about, that included the chilling smiles and the easy restoration of his endearingly kind disposition. While he tried to avoid saying anything, he could not suppress the occassional shudder that went down his spine when those cool apraising eyes met his, or the approving inclining of his head at Karma's own defeated adversaries.

Whatever this was - ths very _antithesis_ of his 'deadly mode'- currently standing before him with a hunched back and troubled eyes, Karma didn't want to have to decipher this side of him before he'd begun to figure out his most lethal side. This wasn't the timid act he donned for the world to underestimate him. Something foreign clenched at his heart as he continued to observe his best friend. Nagisa must have noticed the gears turning in his mind because his back straightened and he gave an easy smile, already directing his body to flee.

"I'll get the popcorn ready. You know where the DVDs are."

Oh no he wasn't. With the ease of training in his reflexes to one day catch a yellow super octopus that could reach Mach-20 speed, Karma's arm shot out to block Nagisa's exit. He fixed him with a stern look. "I don't know what's going on with you, but since I am such a cool and amazing badass you've ever had the pleasure to be graced with, I am willing to let this go." he hesitated before stepping into Nagisa's personal space to wrap his arms around him. "Are we really watching all twelve films tonight?"

Nagisa, despite being deeply touched and conflicted, responded his gracious humour in kind. "If you can handle it of course." He breathed in and returned the hug, quietly mumbling what might have been a 'thank you'.

While Karma set up the TV and searched for Haruka's hidden stash of horror DVDs, Nagisa successfully located a bag of microwavable popcorn from their forever disorganised cupboard and stuck their movie snack in the microwave. After three minutes listening to the satisfying 'pops', Nagisa opened the microwave door only to be blasted by the sweet sweet smell of the much beloved snack. He not-too-subtly poked at his belly, persuading himself and inevitably failing to not heat a cup of butter as well. He loaded the popcorn into a bowl and guiltily poured melted butter all over the top. Alas, this internal argument was meant for their next movie night.

They munched through the popcorn while passively watching the unskippable previews of corny and obscure rom-coms before reaching the main menu, where an imposing robust figure stood menacingly over Camp Crystal Lake. Nagisa would forever deny the surprised 'eep' that escaped his traitorous mouth.

Halfway through the first movie found Nagisa snuggled like a terrified puppy against Karma's chest. The popcorn bowl lay discarded by his feet, holding but a few kernels and excess salt. The redhead- though thoroughly enjoying the chase- was absent-mindedly carting his fingers through Nagisa's hair. His other hand was propping his head up, elbow snug against the arm rest.

"Are you scared yet?" Karma asked.

"I've been terrified since the main menu." Nagisa replied wryly.

Karma raised an eyebrow at the dry tone. Why was he so sarcastic when his body language was practically screaming 'protect me, I'm fragile'?

"None of that Nagisa, I'll be the shining knight in armour you've always wanted." he responded, patting Nagisa's head reminiscent to when the bluenet did the same to his cheek. This elicited a startled laugh.

"I thought my father was my knight?"

"I'm his stand-in since he's dealing with a sleeping dragon at the moment."

"I don't know how I feel about that."

"That Haruka-san is with Principal Asano?"

"No, I'm more disturbed about the 'sleeping dragon' part."

"Why?"

"You mean that wasn't intentional?"

"Probably."

They paused in their teasing. What was supposed to be a hypothetical and completely fabricated and unfounded claim was slowly becoming a very real and very disturbing possibility. It dawned on them that maybe this was a thought for another time; as in never.

"I remain unconvinced with your status as knight. What are your credentials?" Nagisa began, pinning Karma with a pseudo-interrogating look. "What makes you qualified to defend me?"

Karma returned the look with a thoughtful one. This was proving to be a more weighted question than he initially thought it would be. But this was Nagisa; a resourceful assassin-in-training whose affinity for stealth and deception along with his growing skills in combat make him a formidable opponent. In addition, he had to consider his insightfulness and his random suggestions on thought experiments. His language skills, English in particular, were where his academic prowess lay. His communication skills could be used to talk down a hostile foe who was only hostile in their bark - which usually made up for their lack of bite - or else they could be used to uncover his innermost thoughts not by the words he said, but the words he _didn't_ say.

* * *

Nagisa awoke suddenly, not quite sure what he was dreaming of or when he began dozing off. From the faint glowing screen of the TV displaying Jason in the main screen, he must have missed the rest of the first movie. On the futon beside him was Karma, silent in his sleep as he is when conscious- excluding the times he isn't being an asshole of course.

He stared at his friend a bit longer, trying to discern this strange feeling threatening to erupt from his chest. His elaborate and surprisingly sincere answer last night reminded himself of why he trained so hard for his father's examination. He needed someone else who was undeniably on his side, someone who really understood him. Haruka missed out on more than half of his life and though Nagisa would like to admit his adoration for his father now after so many years dealing with a dominantly matriarch-run household, he knew that it would be foolish to place so much trust into a man who was just beginning to know him. Even Nagisa was at fault here, considering how he still did not know where his father had been all those years. What compelled him to leave? At first glance Nagisa assumed it was a result of an unhappy marriage and he didn't doubt that if this was not the main reason, the divorce was most likely a big part of it. What perplexed him instead was the 'where'. With the amount of time spent away from his biological family, Nagisa would have thought that Haruka found another better-matched significant other. Furthermore, how he managed to sustain himself must have been relatively mediocre if Haruka came back with a job as unstable as a self-employed mechanic. Just what did Haruka do for those seven years?

If he was serious about placing the remainder of his trust in Haruka's hands, he had to find out more about him. He would ignore the little voice in his head saying that he had nothing to worry about. This was something that needed to be done, especially if this is what it took to become an assassin.

* * *

Two devastating punches later had Haruka and Gakusho panting on opposite sides of the clearing. Harka grimaced as he held up a hand to nurse his left cheek, watching warily at the way Gakusho was shaking his arm. This spar was meant to ease his quietly distressed friend and distract him for even a moment. But whatever this day meant to him, as was noted from Gaskusho's calendar sporting a little mark on the corner of today's date, it was dire enough to have affected his combat. With how infrequently Haruka sparred, he had expected to be floored. A draw, however, garnered more evidence for Gakusho's odd behaviour. That, and the fact that he was exuding less of his 'you are all beneath me' vibes. He seemed almost human today, with emotions that excluded the usual polite disdain and casual passive aggressiveness. Rather, the walking contradiction was both strangely gentle in his speech and dangerously close to using self-deprecating insinuations.

Haruka hadn't seen this side of his friend high school, when the principal was just as much as a workaholic as he was today. In his rare episodes spurred by the build-up of stress, the constant dismissal of well-deserved breaks, and the piles upon piles of extracurriculars, further contributed by his intense focus in his studies broke him back then. His strive for perfection even resulted in him swallowing his pride to ask for help, in which Haruka would readily accept. These were the rare moments where Haruka was the one taking the lead in their friendship, offering an attentive ear and covering for him on the off-chance he fell ill.

These moments of weakness tapered off to non-existence when they finished high school, right before they went their separate ways. Did Gakusho ever find anyone else to help him the same way Haruka did? If he hadn't, how was he even coping? He was running a famously prestigious school while keeping an international government secret housed in a building just outside the main campus who also taught a class of supposed misfits. Though Haruka was not impressed with his friend's logic on the matter where the bottom 10% left behind provided motivation for the rest of the school to not fall into the same category as Class-E, he also recognised that now was not the time for that. He could berate him when he was coherent.

"I think we should leave it for today." Haruka called out, approaching his friend while trying not to compare this to approaching an easily startled deer. "It's best not to spar when one of us is severely distracted."

Gakusho frowned, clearly uncomfortable to elaborate. "Haruka…"

"Look, you don't need to explain yourself, least of all to me. I just want to let you know, now that I'm back, that I'm always available should you need me. Like old times."

Serious eyes met tired auburn.

"I will hold you to that, Haruka." he began, relieved yet stress lines showing themselves more prominently on his face. "It's been difficult since you left. I did find someone in college, but she is not with us anymore. And today marks the day I lost one of my first students." He chuckles hollowly, breaking eye contact to struggle with his discomfort. "My only friend left, my wife disappeared and that student committed suicide. Although I am immensely relieved to see you have returned alive and whole, Haruka, I also can not erase the last twenty years alone, living with guilt all the while drilling my son with lessons on power, just so he doesn't follow my student's path. Needless to say, I am not what you remember me by. This was something I wanted to inform you earlier and I suppose today was the day for it."


End file.
